More than 8,000 people attended the 30 shows and activities programmed over the last three days in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion auditorium in the Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center.

Sónar Chicago offered a highly experimental line-up. Among the highlights were the shows by The Slew con Kid Koala, the noisism of the Iceland-based AustralianBen Frost, New York's Lesley Flanigan, the futuristic electronic post-funk of the Detroit artist Jimmy Edgar, the Canadian project La Chambre des Machines -with their genuine futuristic machines from the early twentieth century - and the session by the Dutch post-dubstep producer Martyn which turned Millennium Park in central Chicago into an unusual and enormous dancefloor.

The presence of Catalan artists at the festival was also a very positive aspect. The shows by Bradien, bRUNA, Huan and Faraón attracted a substantial audience and generated an enthusiastic response.

Sónar Chicago was possible thanks to the initiative of the Institut Ramon Llull - the consortium consisting of the Government of Catalonia and the Government of the Balearic Islands - the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Advanced Music, creators of the festival in Barcelona - and AC Entertainment, the promoter of the Bonaroo festival, among other events.

After the excellent experience in 2009, when two events were held in New York and Washington, Sónar returns to the United States, this time to present a three-day festival, created especially for the occasion.

The objective is to take the philosophy of the Barcelona festival to the North American city, with all the features that have made Sónar an international touchstone: with an ambitious and high quality line-up featuring plenty of electronic experimentation and its derivations and unusual venues of the highest calibre, in this case the Jay Pritzker Pavilion – designed by Frank Ghery – in the popular Millennium Park (the 9th of September) and the famous Chicago Cultural Center (the 10th and 11th of September).

Some of the artists confirmed to date are The Slew (the scratch-rock project led by the wizard on the decks Kid Koala), Oval (a key project in 1990s electronica, featuring Germany's Markus Popp, back with a new album), the Australian – resident in Iceland - Ben Frost (one of the most acclaimed sonic experimentalists working today), Nosaj Thing(the Los Angeles beatmaker featuring a show with serious visual impact), the Dutchman Martyn (a key name at the techno-dubstep crossroads), Nicolas Bernier + Martin Messier: La Chambre des Machines (a Canadian duo that base their show on rudimentary noise machines from the early twentieth century) or Lesley Flanigan(a New York artist who constructs her music with hand-made instruments and the sounds created by her own voice) among others.

Catalan performers are headed by two artists from the renowned Barcelona label spa.RK: Bradien (an experimental and tropical pop trio) and bRUNA (the creator of electronica with a heavy emotional charge). Two new projects seeking new musical languages will also be present, in the shape of Huan (folk, noise and experimentation) and Faraón (psychedelia, Krautrock and jazz).

As well as all that, Sónar Chicago expands its line-up with its collaboration withAdventures In Modern Music (AIMM), the five-day festival organised by the renowned British magazine The Wire and the promoters at the Empty Bottle, one of the city's most important venues. In its eighth outing this year, it presents shows byThe Rhys Chatham Trio, Sleep and Efterklang, among others.

Meanwhile, SonarCinema presents five films: “Synth Britannia” (the BBC documentary telling the story of the birth of synth pop in Great Britain), “Amplified Gesture” (a film produced by David Sylvian on the art of improvisation), “Sensuous Cornelius” (the excellent filming of the live show by the Japanese musician), “Finisterrae” (the full-length film providing the image for Sónar 2010) and “Sónar Around The World” (which documents an entire year of Sónar, produced and made by Televisió de Catalunya).

Sónar Chicago is the result of an initiative by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs -the public office planning and promoting musical, performance, and visual arts events in Chicago-, the Institut Ramon Llull, -the consortium made up of the Government of Catalonia and the Government of the Balearic Islands-, Advanced Music -the creators of Sónar festival - and AC Entertainment -the promoter of the Bonnaroo festival-.

Details of the complete line-up and the performance times and days of each of the artistic projects in Sónar Chicago will be announced soon.

All the shows and activities at the festival are free of charge and open to all, except for the AIMM events which are subject to a separate payment.

Sonar will be present at the Montjuïc by Night event, the Barcelona festivals night organised by ICUB for this Saturday 3rd July.

The festival comprises of a stage set up in the Avenida Maria Cristina and presents performances by Bradien, Bruna, The Requesters, Guillamino, Chacho Brodas and Angel Molina.

This Saturday 3rd July, from 8pm until 2am the Montjuïc by Night event will be held, bringing together for one night only all the major Barcelona festivals. Free entrance.

Sonar is in charge of the programming of one of 13 stages at Montjuïc by Night situated inAvenida Maria Cristina, with performances from the following artists:

20.00-20.45 / Bradien

Balbini, Pope and Matías Rossi have been working together since 2005 under the guise of Bradien, a not so usual group that are as much about pop as they are about contemporary sound collage. Superimposing all classes of musical references (exotic ambient reminiscent of Arthur Lyman, all time film soundtracks, touches of folk and hints of dub) the Barcelona group break down their own notions of pop in a twisted origami exercise that in 2009 won over the spa.RK catalogue with their charming ‘Linden’ LP.

20.45-21.30 / bRUNA

Resident at Sonar since 2006, bRUNA has overcome the ‘newcomer’ phase and become the prime example and name of reference on the Spanish scene. With his work published on the labels spa.RK, Softstar Records, Paradigma Musik and Natura Sonoris (amongst others), Carles Guajardo’s sound palette, full of emotive and vibrant electronica, light up the scene with contagious melodies.

21.30-22.15 / Guillamino

Although he himself assures us that his productions are 50% hip-hop beats and 50% classic songs, the versatillity of Pau Guillamet (Guillamino) goes much further than this simple equation. His music, always restless and explorative, never ceases to contaminate his audience with his latest musical findings from the net or from his trips abroad. What’s more, he’s a student of the Sardana, a solid defender of the electronic as a work tool and an tireless composer open to all class of collaboration. On this occasion he will be presenting tracks from his new work “Whip Gymnastix”.

22.15-23.00 / Chacho Brodas

After a debut that left everybody talking in it’s moment, Chacho Brodas – project captined by the producer DJ Griffi, ex of Sólo los Solo- has returned this year with their second work “Date Cuenta”, that has revolutionised the World of hip-hop with a fururistic sound that during moments gets close to electro, dubstep and even Jazz. Along with Griffi, three vocalists from the Del Palo factory sum up the party Chacho Brodas: Aqeel, Tremendo y MBaka, with always posible appearences by the mysterious pianist Nik Codina and the Danish singer Anqui. Hip hop of the future to be enjoyed right now.

23.00-00.00 / The Requesters

The Requesters bring together two young men yet experienced producers from the city: Sidechains, admired above all for a collection of irrestistible remixes, and D.A.R.Y.L., experimented resident of the Loft and key name on the Barcelona club circuit. Together they raise the roof of the power of pop, the 80’s club culture, and the hedonistic possibilities of house and electro. In the hope that their first work has confirms the possibilities that awaken the project, they have shown that live they also have the ease of putting together some great hymns directly on the dance floor.

00.00-02.00 / Angel Molina

Since his beginnings as a Dj in 1991, Angel Molina has placed an important part in the development of the electronic scene in Spain thanks to his incredible technical abilities applauded by both critics and public alike, and to his exquisite taste which makes him unarguably one of the finest DJ selectors of techno in all of Europe. Versatile and flexible like very few others, Angel knows best how to jump from the best techno to the richest house, without outdoing the most hypnotic and dark of pop and electronica.